The Walls Came Down
by midnight-tessa
Summary: Sara, the University Days with a one Mr. Grissom. This is going to be a very dark fic, so only read if you so desire. Part Nine Now Up!
1. Chapter 1

I'm just creating this as I go… Probably AU, but whatever. I just write what my mind forces me too. Oh yea, and if I owned CSI… I wouldn't have to be writing about it on this old machine. I'd be doing it in style next to my pool, with a pool boy waiting alongside to bring my lemonade, and other fine things ;)

As for the customary 'you've now been discretioned' moment: This story will probably turn out pretty dark. That's just the way my mind is. I can't help it. It deals with tough subjects, and even tougher people. If this is or is not your thing, read, or don't read. It's really your choice.

Now on with the story:

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A young Sara, still in here first year of University was both excited and overwhelmed by the amount of new information she was receiving on a daily basis. Thought she picked up on the information fast enough, she still wanted to check in with her professor to fill that thirst for knowledge.

Perhaps that is why she wanted to fill that thirst – because she learned everything too fast. While everyone else was slowly going over the lecture notes, or off at some wild party, she was ready for more, all the things learned that day secured in her mind.

Today, her talk with Mr. Grissom lasted a lot longer than expected. They had gotten into some of the more intricate details of how to efficiently process a crime scene. Even though this was second-year material, the professor knew she'd be eager to learn it, and he was rather happy to have such a interested pupil, that he marveled in the chance of explaining it.

"Thank you so much," Sara began, smiling. "You really have no idea just how much these talks mean to me. I mean, I have so much to learn, and I honestly can't bear to put it off any longer."

In reply, she got an over-enthusiastic Mr. Grissom, insisting that if she ever wished to know more, or perhaps even help out with an actual case sometime soon, he could help arrange it. He did have the connections after all.

Again, another smile graced her features as she turned to leave his office.

"See you in class tomorrow?" The professor called out as she was leaving.

"Of course, I wouldn't miss it for the world!" She replied, stopping for a moment at the sight of something unexpected just outside the office. "Dad?" She said aloud, before finishing off the sentence in her head. 'What is he doing here?'

She looked away, hoping that perhaps he hadn't seen her. Or at least that he hadn't seen her flinch. Visibly worried, her only thought was to take the hallways deeper into the school and end up as far away from prying eyes as possible.

She would have no luck, because as it turned out, her father did see her in the small office. He did see her flinch and he was moving in straight for her. She did the only thing she could think of – run. She took off on a mad dash down the empty hallway.

'Oh I don't think so, you little whore!' Mr. Sidle thought to himself, as he took off down the hall towards his daughter.

It seemed like only an instant had passed, but by that point, he already had her held roughly by her upper arm and swinging around to face him directly.

She quivered noticeably as she spoke, "Daddy, what… what are you doing here?" She pulled at her arm slightly. It was perhaps more of an unconscious effort than anything, for she figured it was pointless.

Noticing the twitch in his daughter's arm, he tightened his grip while thinking to himself about how much of a tramp she was. "I should have known, a little whore like you could never have pulled in the grades you did!"

"What? I, I… Daddy?" She was in a state of confusion, shock, fear and a whole range of other emotions. In fact, she was almost speechless. Just what was he implying?

A smile crossed Sara's father's face. He knew she was scared, not only because she was shaking, but mostly because she carried that look in her eyes – the one he'd grown to love. That look of fear that made all this worth doing.

"Did you really think I wouldn't find out?" Her father asked. "Instead of studying at home like I've told you to do, you're here, fucking any teacher who looks twice at you? You're worthless." He shook his head in disgust to emphasize the point. "I can't even look at you!"

With that, he pushed her away with a force that sent her crashing to the floor by his feet. All she managed to do was cower in fear. She honestly didn't know what else to do.

Watching from the sidelines, Mr. Grissom wasn't sure if he was more afraid for his student, or outraged at her father. He'd witnessed enough of this act. "Sara, get in my office!"

Sara, slowly got to her feet, watching her father closely. The only way to the office was back past her father. She moved around side him, but before she made it past, she was once again in the vice grip of her elder.

The father just glared at his daughter, breathing hard. Then, without warning, he forced her backward, until she slammed her back against the wall. He turned toward the professor and said with a laugh, "I don't see what you want with her anyway…"

Finally, to add that last twist of the knife, the one that would send his daughter over the edge, he turned and spoke directly at her – his face just mere inches away from hers. "It's not like she's that good in bed."

He let got of his daughter, but still effectively towered over her. "Oh, and don't bother coming home tonight. I've got other plans." He left her there, in that hallway, not really concerned about the outcome. She'd come crawling back to him. She always did. Where else was she going to go?

Seconds after her father was out of sight, Sara broke down crying. Her two world's had collided into one giant mess. She could take his crap at home, but this school was her sanctuary. Here she belonged, here she was safe and here, she could dream about the future she'd always wanted and was so close to reaching. She slid down the wall, and sat sobbing uncontrollably on the floor.

Mr. Grissom hurried over to his student, and crouching beside her, grabbed her hands and urged her to her feet. "C'mon, let's get you into my office."

He led her there carefully, realizing that she wasn't at all paying attention as to where they were headed. She was clearly in her own little world, with no immediate plans of returning. But who could blame her? What else had she been going through?

When they were inside his office, he guided her to a chair, where with little prompting, she sat down. Without letting go of her hands, or looking away, he pulled over a second chair and sat in it opposite of her.

"Sara, what's going on?"

The shaken woman couldn't focus on anything, not just yet anyhow, so instead, she just looked right through her professor. "What? Oh, I'm fine." She smiled, the tears still flowing down her face.

Mr. Grissom figured she was in shock. He had never seen her like this before. The usually cheerful and determined young woman was now reduced to an emotional wreck. Still, despite this, she was still trying to put up a strong face to the world. Maybe that was just her way of dealing.

He tried once more to question her. "Sara, your father, does he hurt you?"

She had now blinked away the tears, her smile still steadfast. "You know, he really is a nice guy, I'm sure you'd like him-"

The professor wondered if she was talking about the same person that was here - the same father that was assaulting her both physically and verbally? He continued his barrage, "Does he come into your room at night?"

"He was just a little tired today, but-"

"Into your bed?"

The tears were once again welling up in Sara's eyes, just screaming to be let loose. "I mean, he's just been having a hard time at work lately, he's-"

"Sara, does he rape you?"

She froze. Somehow hearing it made it all the more real. It wasn't some bad dream, it wasn't all in her imagination, it was real, and it was her. She finally gasped and brought a hand up to her mouth. Then, all she did was shake.

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Okay, I know… Tough subject matter, but it's something that I had to get out of my head, so thanks for putting up with me. Anyway… review if you so desire. That my dear friends is up to you.


	2. Chapter 2

Here's for the second chapter of our lovely fic. Still half dreaming here, but could swear that I do own Sara, and Griss, if not the whole gang. Could just be the sleep talking though…

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"I've got to get home," Sara said, rising from her seat. He's probably worried about me."

"You can't go back there, Sara. You need to talk to the police."

"No," she told him firmly, "if I don't hurry back and start dinner, he'll just get even more upset. I can't let that happen. He doesn't hurt me, really. Sometimes, he just gets upset and yells. That's it. Really."

"Sara, I know there is more to it than that. I can see it in your face. I can't let you go back to that house. Not while your father is still there."

"Don't worry about me. Nothing's going to happen if I go home-"

"Sara, you aren't going home. Okay?"

"Then where am I going to go?"

"We'll find you a place where it's safe. Just stay here, I have to make a phone call. Okay?"

She just nodded in response.

Mr. Grissom went deeper into his office and closed the door. He explained to the officer on the other end about his student and her predicament. The arrangements were made, she'd go down to the station, make a statement and then be placed with a relative, if one could be found.

He thanked the officer, and told him he'd bring Sara right over to make her statement. After hanging up the line, he returned to the main room of his office.

"Oh God!" He said, noticing she'd left. He looked out the door, checking down both directions in the hall, but no sign of the young woman. He hurried back to the phone, pressed the redial button, and spoke. "I think there's been a slight change in plans. Sara took off. Do you think you could meet me at her father's place. I have a feeling that's where she'll be."

Mr. Grissom searched through his files quickly to find Sara's. He noted the address, as he read it to the officer and the two agreed to meet in 15 minutes just outside her home.

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Okay, this is just a quickie, because I'm off to work in about five minutes. Just some more thoughts I had to get down on the paper this morning. Let me know what you think, if you've got the time.


	3. Chapter 3

Okay, so here's the third chapter of this wonderful fic. Still not owning CSI, despite the many attempts I've made. Darn.

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Sara ran all the way home. She wondered what would happen if her father was already there? Would he still be mad? She couldn't bare it if he was at home, taking it out on her mother. Not for something that in a way, was her own fault. Her father had asked her to come right home everyday and spend her time studying. How else could she pass the course?

She figured, if she'd talked to her father, and let him know where she was, and that she was getting extra instruction from one of her professors, that he wouldn't have minded. She should have done that from the beginning, but she was so excited about the possibility of learning more, that she took the chance and was just going to explain later.

Coming up her to her door, she listened for the sound of her father. Nothing. Maybe he wasn't there after all. He did say he had other plans, did he not? She tried for the door and it was unlocked, so she stepped in and took a quick look around.

"I thought I told you not to show up here tonight," her father said, from his place in favorite recliner. "Though I kinda figured you would." He gave her a wink, and motioned for her to come closer. She complied. He got to his feet, and stepped a little too close into her space. "So, your teacher… he at least teach you anything useful?"

"Yeah," Sara said, excitedly as she remembered her conversation with Mr. Grissom. "He taught me all about how to process a scene and-"

He slapped her across the face. Hard. "How the hell is that useful to me?" Her father reached out and started to caress the red mark that was already starting to form on her face. "I thought you might have picked up a new thing or two. You know," he said suggestively, "something the two of us could try out later."

She took a step back. "Daddy no…"

"You ungrateful little bitch!" He took a step towards her, again, invading her space.

"It wasn't like that. All we did was talk."

"Bullshit!" He grabbed a handful of her hair, and dragged her toward his bedroom.

"Please Daddy!" She cried out, the tears coming to her eyes.

"You don't have to beg," he said with an evil laugh. "But if I knew you wanted it that badly, I've have done this more often."

"No!" She fought him with all she had, but it really had no effect. Instead, she just ended up being thrown onto her father's bed, and witnessed the sadistic smile, growing ever so slightly.

That's when she heard it. A knock at the door.

Both heads turned towards the noise.

"You say one word, and you are good as dead!" He snapped.

She went to speak, and he saw it coming, so he landed a punch hard on her jaw to shut her up. He grabbed the roll of duct tape that he kept on his nightstand for times like these, and pulled at the tape, and grabbed for her head. He quickly maneuvered the tape three full times around her head, effectively cutting off any cries for help she may have had. He then forced a knee into her back to keep her from moving while he did the same to her wrists.

Another knock at the door. He could here a muffled voice coming through the wood, but couldn't make out just what they were saying. Quickly he secured her ankles, and then made his way out of the room, locking it from the outside.

When he opened his front door, he saw the teacher he'd met that afternoon, and beside him was a cop. The father feigned sleepiness, even adding a yawn before saying, "Sorry, I was asleep. Can I help you?"

"Yeah, we are looking for your daughter," the cop said.

"That makes two of us, she isn't here…" the father replied.

Mr. Grissom took his chance to speak up, "Do you always look for your loved ones while you are sleeping?" He knew the act was just that, an act. He was in the business long enough to spot a lie, especially when it was so badly constructed.

"Look, I'm tired, is there anything else I can do for you?"

"May we have a quick look inside?" The cop questioned.

"You got a warrant?"

"No."

"Then come back when you do."

Just as the father was closing the door, the visitors heard a banging coming from deep inside the house. The cop quickly, reached out his arm and prevented the door from closing.

"Sara?" Mr. Grissom called out.

More banging.

"Sir," the cop began, "I'm going to have to ask you to step aside."

"No warrant, no entry," the father said smugly.

"Sir, there is a perceived threat, which means a warrant isn't necessary." The cop took a serious tone. "And if you don't move aside, I'm going to have to arrest you."

The father took a couple steps back, and waved the cop in. "Be my guest, but the crooked teacher stays outside."

The cop stepped in, while Mr. Grissom just looked at him like the insect he was.

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Well, I'm going to leave it there for now. I'm getting the five minute warning for dinner. Hope you are enjoying it so far.


	4. Chapter 4

The fourth installment of this 'classic to be' is now complete. Okay, so I'm being delusional. Not so much a classic, but if I can't pretend that I own CSI anymore, I have to do something to fill my time. And the funny people with the white coats won't be back for hours, so I've got lots of time to fill ;)

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The next few minutes seemed to just be a blur to Mr. Grissom. He was worried sick about his student. Not just for her physical safety, but for her mental stability as well. Things can't be fine in that little head of hers if she'd choose to return to a situation like this.

Then again, maybe it was just another part of life for her. She might not know of anything else. He wondered just how long this saga had gone on in her life. It's not like she ever talked about her parents to him, or anyone else for that matter that he heard.

He didn't think much about it, after all, this was the age children became independent and opened a new chapter onto their lives. The time where parents eased up on their children and let them fly farther from the nest. It was the time where the big decisions would finally be made by the young ones themselves.

He could imagine her wanting to hide all this from the rest of the world. She was probably afraid and ashamed, not wanting to be the subject of the pointed fingers and whispered rumors. Why would she want to jeopardize the few happy hours she had each day out of this home? Certainly not to think about, or even speak about the troubles she faced.

It was just one of the ways she could take control over the situation. It made her stronger. Her father may have had control over her life at home, but he couldn't control what she thought about or spoke about while she was away.

Granted, the thoughts would have more than likely been there, anyway, Mr. Grissom figured. Perhaps they'd just be pushed back farther into that vast mind of hers. He figured that the time she spent at school might have been a mere distraction to her. Like a way to fight for what she ultimately wanted. It was a slow and methodical fight that by the end of each day she succeeded in becoming that much closer to achieving.

If she could only stick through this battle of wills, she'd be free. Free to get the job she loved with all her heart, and get away from the man she did not. A dream like this could easily prove enough to strengthen a person's will to survive. Maybe survive wasn't quite the right word. More like cope.

Mr. Grissom's mind came crashing back to reality when he saw her father make a run for it out the door. He protested, and tried to stop the man, but it was no use. He'd jumped into his car, and sped off into the distance.

Seconds later, Grissom ran into the house, just in time to see the cop kick in a door. Behind it lay Sara, her body still bound with duct tape. She'd managed to get herself over to one wall, and was kicking out with her feet. That had been the banging they'd heard.

Ignoring the urge to run over to Sara, and hold her in his arms, he calmed her down with a few carefully placed words. "Sara, everything is fine. You're father is gone, and you are safe. I need you to stay here until I can get my kit and collect the evidence properly. If you let me do this, I'll explain to you step by step as I go how and why I'm doing each task. Okay?"

The woman on the floor nodded and Mr. Grissom left the room to get his kit, while the cop secured the scene. When the professor came back, he did exactly as promised. He described the tools he used as he took the photographs, cut the tape, and slowly, piece by piece documented the scene.

He explained the task of bagging and labeling the evidence properly so they could be used in court if needed. Though visibly upset, his student remained as calm as can be expected and absorbed the information he was feeding her.

Though a daunting task, Mr. Grissom managed to remain calm as well on the exterior. Inside, his pulse was racing and his heart was pounding for the young woman by his feet. He wasn't positive, but thought that she might actually be handling this situation better than he, though she was the one in danger – the one who'd been hurt the most.

He did realize that if his cool exterior was just a front to the raging emotions he withheld on the inside, hers could just as easily be as well. Not that it mattered at this point, he had a job to do. Actually, a couple jobs. One, to catalogue the contents of the crime scene, and two, tend to the victim.

Later there'd be a lot of sort through… ranging from the physical evidence straight through to the mental emotions. He could already see this case would have a long lasting impression on everyone involved. But if the cases weren't to make an impression to him, he'd be first to pack it in for a new job. The victims all deserved better than that. Much, much better.

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Okay, so I'm writing this, and I can't even post it just yet. Mind you, once you read this, it means I've obviously posted it, but that is besides the point. Tonight, I'm without an internet connection, but still had a few things to get out of my mind, so now that I have, I can sleep… See you next time on the- Oh sorry, it's not that kind of 'same place, same time' deal is it? Oops.


	5. Chapter 5

Okay, I can't believe that I'm onto the 5th chapter of this story already. Still, I'm not even close to owning CSI… Perhaps, with all the non-money that I'm making here, I might some day be able to afford it. Don't you be holding your breath.

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It took some time and a few tears, but finally the whole sordid account of the day's events was given to the police. Question after question, followed by answer after answer, she was telling the truth, and not holding anything back. For once, Sara was able to share what happened of not only today, but also from years before, and it seemed as if the forces of gravity were finally easing up on her.

Despite what she had thought earlier, this truly did seem like the right thing to do. She'd just been too afraid to admit it before now. For so long she'd thought, 'What if no one believed her? What if they blamed it all on her?' How would she answer all the questions like, 'Why didn't you say anything sooner?' and 'Where's your proof?'

She knew the answers clearly. Not only did she feel weak for speaking up, the man was still her father. Shouldn't she have some form of loyalty? Shouldn't she protect him? Wait, what? No… a real father would never have done those things in the first place. A real father would have protected his daughter. That man was not a father. Not anyone's father.

As for the proof, they definitely had that now – and witnessed by a cop. You don't get much better of a corroboration to a story than that. Plus, the evidence was there – carefully collected by her professor.

At the thought of Mr. Grissom, her mind went once again into hyper drive. 'What would he think of all this? Would things change? For the better?' She couldn't bare to think of the alternative just yet, so she stuck with the better option. This way, the awkward moments wouldn't arise like they were bound to. This way he wouldn't see her as damaged goods. She just wanted to be seen for whom she was, and who she would become.

Her thoughts of the professor were cut short by the words of the man himself.

"Do you have a place to go to tonight? Maybe a relative or a friend that you could stay with? You can't go home, especially with your father not in custody yet."

Mr. Grissom could tell she was thinking about it. He could read the different expressions as she thought through the possibilities. Finally, she told him yes, so he offered to drive her there.

"But I think I should give them a call, so I don't just show up out of the blue," Sara reminded the man.

"That's a good idea. You make the call, and I'll go and pull the car around. Meet me out front when you are ready."

"Okay," Sara replied, adding a little wave for effect. "I'll be right out."

Mr. Grissom left, and walked over to his car. He had to park it a few minutes down the street because the traffic had been fairly bad when they first arrived. Unlike the officer that Sara had driven with, he did not have a parking space in the police station's lot. Not that it mattered all that much, because by now, most of the cars had left, and there were plenty of parking spaces closer to the station.

'A little exercise is good for everyone', he thought to himself as he reached his car. 'Plus, it would give Sara a little extra time to okay the plans with her friend.' He wondered just how much she would tell them. Probably not that much over the phone, but she might tell them more when she met up in person. He hoped that she would share the story again, because he knew by the way she was acting, getting the tale off her chest had helped out quite a bit.

He turned the key in the ignition, and then slowly began moving the car. As he rounded the corner toward the front doors of the station, he saw his student already seated on the steps. When she noticed his approach, she rose and started off in the direction of the car.

"Wow, that was quick," Mr. Grissom commented.

"I knew they'd say yes."

"Well, I'm happy they did. What's the address?" He asked as his student fastened her seatbelt.

"Actually, she was just headed out for a coffee, and I told her I'd meet her there. It's the place at the corner of Wellington and Main."

He drove her to the cafe, where she pointed to the interior of the building. "Oh, she's already here. Thanks for the ride."

"I'll see you in class tomorrow?" Mr. Grissom asked, as she hopped out of the car.

"Yeah, sure. Thanks again for the ride."

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Well, I'm off to bed now. And though I know you won't be able to read this, at least until I get my precious internet connection back, I still think I've grown as a person while writing it. I hope you are enjoying it as well.


	6. Chapter 6

A sixth chapter is now up and readable. (Not that any of you would have guessed by this point, lol). And what do you mean CSI: New York is up for grabs? I can't take that one, I specifically asked for CSI: Las Vegas… Fine, no deal. I guess I'm still CSI-less… Meh, I tried, my agent just doesn't have the influence he used to.

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Just one day after everything changed, Sara made it through her classes and found herself sitting in the computer commons, writing up a resume for herself. She listed her education, and her better qualities, and what she thought she could do to better her employer's current situation.

She really didn't have any work experience to speak of, because all her free time had been spent at home studying, but her work ethic and perseverance was surely enough to find her a decent job. Or at least that was what she was telling herself.

Upon finishing up a few, and modifying the cover letters to suit her needs, she sent the documents to the printers. She logged out of the system, and went to get the finished copies.

Papers in hand, she ran into Mr. Grissom. Well, not running into in the sense of physical collision and papers flying… More like the 'I didn't expect you to be here, but I'm happy you are' kind of running into.

He inquired into her well being. She told him she was fine. She seemed to be, which brought some relief to the professor. He also asked her about her new place, at least for the time being.

"Well…" Sara said thinking. "There are fights over the bathroom in the morning, the last piece of cake for dessert and what we'll be watching on the television, but all in all, it's not that bad."

"Good to hear." Grissom said nodding. "How about your mother? Have you heard anything from her? The police wanted to question her, but haven't been able to reach her."

"The rumor is she skipped town with my father, but I really couldn't tell you one way or the other."

"Oh," he said looking closely at her reaction. 'Could a mother really just leave without their daughter like this?' He thought to himself. Then he recalled all the cases of infanticide he'd dealt with. If a parent can kill their young, they can just as easily, if not more so abandon them. "Well, if I hear anything, I'll let you know."

"Thanks, same."

Wanting to change the subject to something perhaps a little less painful for his student, he asked her what she was still doing hanging around the school.

She held up the pile of papers for her professor to see. "Resumes. I'm going to look for a park time job. Something to keep my mind off things."

"That's probably a good idea. Where are you applying?" Mr. Grissom questioned.

"I've picked out a few places. Nothing too much. School still comes first," she assured him.

"Fair enough." The professor could see where her student was coming from. He'd spent many hours on the job. It was a place where he could easily become completely absorbed and unaware of the passage of time. Plus, it could easily take you into an entirely other frame of mind. "Let me know how it goes."

She promised she would keep him up to date and the two parted ways. Mr. Grissom went off to check up on one of his experiments in the school's science laboratory, and Sara left to drop off her resumes.

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Well, that's it for now. Sorry for the short chapters, but at least this way I can update it more. Today, I had a two hour car ride, and it's just about over, so that's why I left it where we are. I think it works leaving it there for now anyway. Look for another update soon.


	7. Chapter 7

Wow... it's been so long for me to update this. I have such an issue with finishing my fanfic. One of these days I'll get past that. Until then, I'll dream of the days when I own CSI. Hey, don't even tell me I can't own it – because I will! I must... mumbles to herself in a fit of insanity

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Sara wandered herself from one building to the next, dropping off resumes where she could, and taking the time for small talk whenever someone of a higher stance in the companies was available to do so. She stopped at a total of five places, but she really had her heart set on a couple of her top choices – the first, a small research facility that dealt with a range of biological experiments and the second, a greenhouse not far from her home.

She wasn't too concerned which of the places she got accepted into, if any, because all would offer their fair share towards another sanctuary she could go to when she wanted to put her mind on other things. The overwhelming qualities that made those two choices stand out to her, was of course, the methodical thought processes required for the research facility (something she found calming because of the logic behind it all) and the tranquility she found when surrounded by plant life. She really did have a thing for vegetation – something she wished she'd been able to experience more of, growing up.

When she left her last drop-off location – the greenhouse, she instinctively walked down the street in the direction of her home. She made it about half way there before she realized that there was no longer a place for her there. She'd decided on a life without her family, especially one without her father. But since she was in the area, it couldn't hurt to pick up some supplies.

It didn't take her long to think about her mother. She hadn't seen the lady since the day before the fiasco, but she still wondered, what about her mother? This isn't what she had really wanted. Now her mother was in unnecessary danger at the hands of her disturbed father. Who knows what was to become of her. But though she loved her mother, she still couldn't forget the fact that she just sat by and let her husband do such horrible things to her daughter. Her only daughter and that hurt her deep inside.

The truth is, her mother stood by this man long before Sara was born, she continued to stand by him with the full knowledge of what that man had been doing to her as she grew up and she would probably continue to do so for a long time after she had left. The older Sidle just didn't seem to have the will to do anything on her own accord. Thinking back, the young student couldn't in all honesty think of a time where her mother had taken things into her own hands. It was always, keep him happy and things will be okay. If only I don't upset the man it will all turn out fine.

This made her question her act of leaving though. Was it really what she wanted to do? Could she really be stronger than her mother? Strong enough to make it on her own? To get out there and stand on her own? She didn't really have a choice in the matter now. That was one of the real reasons she was currently looking for the part time job. She hoped she'd be able to scrape enough money together to pay for her rent.

She'd used the little that she had to pay for first and last month's rent on a small place downtown. She wasn't about to make the same mistakes her mother had. She'd been following in her mother's footsteps for far too long now and all of that was about to change. In all honesty, she figures it just did.

That didn't mean that she wasn't going to make some mistakes of her own however. She was as new at this as anyone could be. She hadn't even thought about food as she was paying for her one room piece of independence. So, because that wasn't at the forefront of her thoughts, she was now going to have to live with her choices and learn to cope, as well as stick to a few things that she told herself she'd never go against.

The most important one of these things to her was not placing her burdens onto the ones she cared for. It wasn't something she had wanted to do with her professor, and she felt horrible about that, but he was now deep into her troubles, and she wasn't about to inconvenience him any farther than what she already had. It wasn't up to him to fight this battle for her. He had his own life to deal with.

As for placing her burdens onto her family, she wouldn't have done that even if she had some in the area. She'd never once met anyone from her mother's side of the family and only once during a family reunion did she get to meet her father's side. Her father had moved her mother far away from her family early after being married so that she wouldn't have anyone to depend on, save himself.

Friends were just as scarce, and in the end none really existed since the girl did little socializing outside of the classroom. She had put the majority of her energy into her studies – both during class time, and into the long hours that followed.

The more she learned, the faster she figured she be able to drag herself up out of this mess. Things were starting to look up though, because she was well ahead of her plan to leave once she'd finished school and secured a job. She guessed she had her father (and maybe Grissom as well) to thank for that.

Nearing her old home, she looked up at the dreary place wondering where her parents were now. They obviously weren't there, as the cops had kept watch on the place yesterday in hopes that her father would return so that they could place him under arrest. He never did. They figured he was trying to head towards the Mexican border, but the truth was, that their guess was just as good as hers. And she didn't have the faintest idea of where they would be.

Pulling out her key, she headed up the driveway to the front door. Until she got her first check, she wouldn't have the money to purchase food, so she figured she'd just grab some from home, since it technically was hers anyway. She went to turn the key but found that the door wasn't locked. She cautiously peeked in, listening for any sounds in the house and when she heard nothing, she made her way to the kitchen.

She grabbed a couple of grocery bags from under the sink, and rummaged through the cupboards in search of things that could be eaten without needing to actually be cooked. Her new apartment didn't have a stove, nor did she even think there would be room for one, had she the money to buy it.

In the end, she had some crackers, some cookies, almost a full loaf of bread and some drink mix and a box of tea bags. Though she hadn't really drank the juice mix since she was younger, she was happy to find something that would make for a tasty drink, but also wouldn't weigh too much for the walk home.

She filled the other bag with a full set of dishes for two people (in case she ever needed extra before she could go and buy a proper set). She grabbed two plates, two cups, two bowls, and two settings worth of silverware. Last, she popped the pain killers and vitamins into the bag and headed down the hallway towards her room to fill a bag with her belongings.

As she walked down the hall, years of memories started flowing back into her. She saw visions of herself running into her room to hide, visions of her father later finding her crouched in her closet, and the subsequent 'punishments' that would follow.

She remembered the time just after her thirteenth birthday where he dragged her down the length of the hallway, only to shove her into his closed bedroom door, breaking her wrist before leading her past the door frame and lifting her on to his bed where he penetrated her for the first time. He'd had told her that now she was a teenager it was her duty to give her father the love her mother had stopped returning years ago.

Her mind raced with the images of her father taking her into his bedroom on the numerous occasions that followed and raping her until he would either toss her aside or on those rare occasions finish it off with a sharp beating. Of course, on those few occasions where he left any visible evidence, he'd always come up with some excuse as to how it had happened whenever it was necessary to make the trip to the emergency room.

Years of repressed feelings washed over the girl until she couldn't take it any longer. She ran into the bathroom, lifted the toilet cover and wretched violently into bowl. She lost the small amount of food she'd eaten that day, and continued to dry heave into the bowl until her stomach hurt and her throat was raw. Once she was through, she leaned back against the wall, and quietly sobbed.

After the second good cry in as many days, she pulled herself together and splashed some water on her face and quickly brushed her teeth to rid herself of the taste of vomit that had collected in her mouth. She threw her toothbrush and the toothpaste into one of the bags and finished making her way into her room. Once in there, she grabbed several changes of clothes, the small jar that she'd kept her loose change in, and the rest of her school books.

She left that place as quickly as she could, hoping beyond hope that she wouldn't have to return anytime in the near future, that is, if she would have to return at all.

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Here's the time where I would normally beg and plead for reviews. Okay, so I probably wouldn't beg and plead... but, if you feel the burning desire... not that I deserve it, my horrible, horrible self leaving all my readers hanging without an update for so long. Anyway, I hope that last chapter made some semblance of sense. Because I was just sort of typing as things came to mind.


	8. Chapter 8

I'm just really on a roll again, aren't I? The mood to write struck me, and so did the people that own CSI. I wasn't trying to steal it... I swear. Well, almost.

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Once she had made her way across town, she walked down the garbage littered street where she now resided. It wasn't the best part of town, but the rent was cheap, and the owners didn't seem to ask many questions. All she'd told them was she was a university student and needed somewhere to stay. They had no objections provided she paid the first and last months rent upfront. She then offered over a stack of cash that she'd extracted from the bank and that was that. She had a place to stay.

Climbing up the stairs to her third floor apartment, she quickly made her way past the dirt and grime that covered the floor, walls and railing (in effect everything in the dimly lit stairwell). She avoided contact with as many of the surfaces as was possible, because though she was being trained to know what to look for in dank environments such as these, it didn't take a student in forensics to hazard a guess as to what might be caked into the dirt.

She was told that the elevator would soon be fixed when she got the official tour of the place by the superintendent. But judging by the aged look of the 'out of order' sign she saw taped to the elevator door, it had been broken for quite some time, so she wasn't holding her breath. It was only three flights of stairs anyway. No big stress on her, she was in decent shape.

Once she arrived on her floor, and made her way past a number of doorways, she dropped the bags she was carrying in her one hand, so she could reach into her pocket and fetch her key. After fiddling with the lock for a bit, she bent down, grabbed the rest of her things and walked into her apartment.

She sat the bag with her clothes down on the floor, and placed the ones with the food and dishes up on the counter. She went through the bags, putting things into her barren cupboards, which didn't look much better once she'd finished putting the bits of food she'd grabbed into them. She sighed a little, but figured it was enough to hold her over until she could do some real shopping.

Next she pulled out the dishes, giving each a rinse as she pulled it out of the bag. She realized that she didn't have a tea towel to dry them with, or a draining pan to sit them in, so she just let them air dry on the counter. She'd have to go out and get some dish soap and tea towels later. She decided to grab some paper from her notebook, plus a pen from her bag, and make a list of the things she'd need to buy, because after every task she seemed to complete, she thought of things she was missing.

After the dishes had dried off, and she had put them away, she sat down on the wooden floor of what would be a living room, had there been anything other than three walls, the floor and the ceiling. Thankfully, the lights in the apartment still worked, so she didn't have to sit in the dark. She pulled out her school books and started to do what she did best – her homework.

A few hours had passed, and Sara had been able to accomplish quite a bit (plus keep her mind off other matters, which she was rather happy about), she folded closed her books and pushed them to the side of the room. Then, she grabbed the pair of pajamas she had packed earlier, changed into them and brushed her teeth before bed.

There wasn't actually a separate bedroom in the apartment, all the rooms were attached to one central 'living space' as the superintendent had called it earlier, so she just laid down on the floor, rolled up one of her sweaters to use as a pillow and fell into a dreamless sleep.

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Sorry for the rather short chapter. Review if you feel so inclined, and you never know, you might get ultra lucky and see another update in the near future ;)


	9. Chapter 9

Go me, here's for my third update in recent times. I'm starting to get the swing of things again. And no, still don't own my precious Sara or Grissom, but the more I write, the more delusional about the pair I can slowly become.

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Sara woke up the next morning at 4am. She never really was one that needed much sleep. Adding the hours mentally in her head, she figured that she had slept for just over five hours. For her, this was actually a bit longer than she was used to, which made sense considering the kind of week she'd been having.

She looked out the window, but everything was still dark as night outside. She flicked on the light, and reached over to here forensics textbook. She had already read the material assigned for this weeks class, so she flipped over to the next chapter and started reading ahead.

This went on for probably about an hour before she decided to make herself something for breakfast. Not one to crack open the cookies this early in the day, she decided on eating some bread. She was surprised at how good plain bread could taste, and was happy that it had stayed fresh. She only ate two pieces fearing that it might have to last her awhile.

Next, she ran herself a hot shower, and after she was through, decided on her choice of wardrobe for the day, and made herself presentable. Noting that she didn't think ahead to bring a hairbrush, she pulled it up into a messy ponytail, which would have to do for the time being. Once she approved of the look, she jotted down the additional things she'd need to purchase.

Coming back into the kitchen, she ran the tap until hot water came pouring out (well, relatively hot, as it wasn't boiled). She filled up a cup, and dropped a tea bag into it. After about a minute of letting the bag steep, she relaxed against the wall and sipped at her morning tea. The bitter taste shocked her momentarily, but she welcomed the foreign flavor. Normally, she'd be one to add sugar and milk to her tea, but again, to her surprise, she was actually enjoying this new blend.

Looking down at her watch, she noticed that it was almost 6:30am. She had an hour and a half to get herself down to the university and into her favorite teacher's class. Though today, she didn't feel as excited to see Professor Grissom as in the past, because she knew that he'd probably go out of his way to make sure she was doing fine. She didn't mind having someone look out for her, she just didn't think she wanted to deal with that whole side of things just yet.

Once she had packed up her books, and the bag of cookies, she made her way to the campus. Though she had the money to cover bus fair for the first week or so, she opted to walk, because what little money she had, could be used to get her some of the things she really needed. The walk took about an hour, but that early in the morning, it was nice to be out, since things were relatively quiet and still cool from the night air.

Arriving at the school about half an hour before class was to start, she decided to walk the halls to calm her nerves of confronting her professor. After spending the first 10 minutes or so avoiding the hall where his office was, she turned and stepped foot in that direction. She'd come to the conclusion that if she waited until the end of class to see him, then her mind would wander during that days class, and she wouldn't be able to focus as much as she should during class.

As she got nearer to Professor Grissom's office, she found her heartbeat grow faster, as the memories of her father in these halls came to the forefront of her mind. Still, she held her head high, and kept her pace. Peering through the door to the office, she didn't see anyone. It was a shared office, and it was possible that people could have been in the back room, but since she didn't see any light shining from within, she highly doubted that.

A bit unsure of herself now, and slightly relieved at his absence, she made her way toward her scheduled class. She would still be more than 15 minutes early, but that is almost a daily occurrence for her. Rarely would she show up just on time, and never had she been late to a class.

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Okay, sorry for the slow chapters, but I thought it was important to show how she was managing through her day to day life activities. Expect more in the future. I'm really getting into this writing thing again. I can't believe it's been so long...


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